Ravens News 4/14: OBJ’s Choice and more

Can OBJ regain peak form, add to Ravens’ history of productive, older wide receivers? – Jamison Hensley

“As flashy and as flamboyant as OBJ is, the man has dog in him. He truly does,” Mason said. “That’s something you can’t teach. It’s just like Anquan [Boldin] had dog, and it’s just like Steve [Smith Sr.] and myself had it as well.”

“What and how much does he have left? You never count out OBJ,” said Smith, who caught 195 passes in his three seasons (2014 to 2016) with Baltimore. “He’s super passionate. He knows exactly the direction he wants to go.”

Former wide receiver Qadry Ismail, who joined the Ravens as a free agent at the age of 29 and helped Baltimore to Super Bowl XXXV, said he believes the addition of Beckham was a statement.

“I think more than anything, the number of the contract spoke volumes in that the team is serious about, ‘Hey, we really truly want to win. We need you and we’re going to show you that we need you,’” Ismail said. “So it does matter. It makes you feel good. I think it validates a lot of what they feel can happen as far as Lamar.”

Odell Beckham Jr. Explains Why He Chose the Ravens – Clifton Brown

After Bisciotti and Beckham had a heart-to-heart discussion, the veteran wide receiver called his agent and told himto finalize a deal with the Ravens. Several teams were in pursuit of Beckham, but his conversation with Bisciotti helped seal the deal.

“He had me fired up,” Beckham said at his introductory press conference. “Him reaching out was really (what) I felt like set it over the edge.”

“This is a team that has great talent all across the board – offensive line, running backs, receiving room, defense is great,” Beckham said. “It boiled down to, I’m at a place in my life where it means a lot more to be wanted. They showed that they wanted me to be here. Not to say that no one else did, but they believed in me. I’m going to come here and put my best foot forward every day.”

Ravens draft preview: With veteran leader gone, defensive line needs reinforcements – C.J. Doon

With veteran leader Calais Campbell now in Atlanta and reliable contributors Justin Houston and Jason Pierre-Paul still free agents, the defensive line is ready for a youth movement.

Early: Clemson’s Bryan Bresee

While the 21-year-old Bresee is no longer considered a top-10 prospect given his injury history and limited college production, he still offers tremendous potential. At 6 feet 5 and 298 pounds, Bresee ran the 40-yard dash in 4.86 seconds, recorded a 29-inch vertical jump and delivered 22 reps on the bench press to rank sixth among defensive tackles at the NFL scouting combine in athleticism score.

When he was on the field, Bresee put those physical tools to good use. While analysts say his technique lacks refinement, he’s been praised for his instincts and ability to both anchor against double teams while defending the run and push the pocket as a pass rusher. He’s also versatile, lining up at several spots along the Tigers’ loaded defensive line. His ability to pressure the quarterback is perhaps most intriguing, having delivered a career-best 82.0 pass-rushing grade this past fall, according to Pro Football Focus.

Potential 2023 NFL Draft Scenario For Ravens: Defensive Lineman – Joe Serpico

In our fourth scenario, the Ravens go with a defensive lineman with the 22nd pick. The Ravens’ best defenses had a stout presence in the trenches. Haloti Ngata, Kelly Gregg, Sam Adams and Tony Siragusa allowed Ray Lewis and Co. to make plays all over the field.

The Ravens have their present-day Lewis after signing Roquan Smith to a lucrative deal. The next step is getting that dominant presence along the D-line to make an already fantastic Smith even better.

Who could be available in the first?

• Bryan Bresee, Clemson

• Calijah Kancey, Pitt

• Mazi Smith, Michigan

Jalen Carter is the best defensive lineman in this class, but he’s likely to go in the top 10 picks. The next defensive lineman could go as high as 13 or fall out of the first round completely. Breese is top-15 talent who could still be around. Kancey has drawn comparisons to surefire Hall of Famer Aaron Donald because both went to Pitt and are undersized yet explosive for the position. Smith is a player shooting up draft boards, and his familiarity with Mike Macdonald might make for a match.

2023 NFL Mock Draft: What would an imminent Lamar Jackson move mean for Round 1? – Diante Lee

3. Baltimore Ravens (via ARI)*: Anthony Richardson, QB, Florida

(*Baltimore trades pick Nos. 22 and 86, a future first-rounder and future third-rounder to Arizona for Nos. 3, 168 and 213.)

All indications are that the Cardinals are maneuvering hard to trade down. In this scenario, the Ravens know they’ll be gaining a pair of first-rounders (one in ’24, one in ’25) as a result of Jackson finding a new home. That opens the door for something generally unprecedented in the league (and particularly rare for Baltimore): an aggressive trade up from the back half of Round 1 into the top five.

The Ravens bring Richardson into as healthy a situation for his development as possible. Offensive coordinator Todd Monken has a long track record of maximizing his passers; Beckham Jr. just joined Mark Andrews, Rashod Bateman and J.K. Dobbins as the supporting cast; and the Ravens have a strong enough defensive infrastructure to keep Richardson from feeling the entire weight of the franchise right out of the gate.

2023 NFL Mock Draft: Should the Baltimore Ravens Target Hendon Hooker To Replace Lamar Jackson? – Dallas Robinson

Can the Ravens Afford To Bypass Other Positions in the Draft?

Planning ahead for a potential Jackson loss is smart business for the Ravens. Baltimore is generally one of the more forward-thinking teams in the NFL. If they don’t think they can re-sign Lamar, or don’t intend to franchise him again in 2024, then adding another quarterback like Hooker makes sense.

The Ravens are still a legitimate AFC contender. With Jackson healthy after missing five games last season, an improved receiving corps headlined by Beckham and fellow free agent signing Nelson Agholor, and a new offensive coordinator in Todd Monken, Baltimore has a chance to not only make the postseason but do some damage.

With that in mind, it’s possible the Ravens would want to deploy their first-round pick on a position of more immediate need than quarterback. Baltimore could stand to add a cornerback, given that Marcus Peters is still a free agent, while another edge rusher could also be on the docket.

If the Ravens view themselves as Super Bowl contenders, drafting an immediate contributor might seem more important than finding a potential Lamar replacement.